February 2nd - 3rd

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We sleep under bug nets and wake to the sound of roosters. We will be going to sleep early and waking early. Today, we have been invited to go to church. The service starts with a lot of song and dance. We are introduced to the congregation. There is a blessing with a goat. There is also a lot of sermon, from many different people, and it goes on from 10 till 1:30, definitely eye opening. We returned home for lunch; every meal is hot cooked and has bits of meat, lots of vegetables, and starches like plantain, ugali (corn meal), and potatoes. Then Catriona, took us into town. This meant walking down the dirt roads for ten minutes till we reached the main road. Then we get on a dala. This is a van that works like a bus and takes as many people on it as can be fit. Then we blast down the roads to the market area to get a coffee at a wifi spot. We will be able to communicate home from time to time. There are cars and people every where, most importantly there are motorcycles. They don't have rules so you have to watch for them when crossing streets.

Monday, was induction day with the projects abroad folks. Finn came to collect us. We took the dala dala again, Jacob counted 17 people crowbarred in with us. After the last stop we walk 10 minutes to the office. You walk on the side of the road, avoiding cars, trucks and bikes. Woman sit beside coal brasiers roasting corn or selling papaya. There are shoes, or belts, or nuts to buy. Most women have a kenga wrapped over a dress, around their waist. Some are dressed in full traditional Masai clothing. Most men are dressed western style, but not all. There are so many sights, sounds, and smells assaulting our senses everywhere. We spend the day filling out forms, receiving tips about culture and safety, and we go for a walk through town and get lunch. Most people take the dala dala to get across town, it's only about 30 cents, but the town centre is only a half hour walk across the length and ten minutes across the width. We have been told that we can meet up with the other volunteers and plan a weekend safari for cheaper. There are volunteer gatherings every two weeks or so. And there is a monthly dirty day where we all leave our placements and work at one project to get a large job done. We'll be planting trees in a couple of weeks on the land where projects abroad is building a new school. We wind up the induction when Finn takes us home again. Next time we'll have to take the dala dala alone. We share supper in front of the tv, endisi, a meal with plantain. After, I sit outside with Elizabeth, our host, and we talk a little of our lives and she starts to give me language lessons. I am using about 10 words of Kiswahili already, I believe I will have much more by the time we go home. Tomorrow is our first day working with the children.

Good Night and Sweet Dreams

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